Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer

Special Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer
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The marble floor of the Grand Mosque in Makkah serves a practical purpose, helping regulate temperatures. (AFP file)
Special Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer
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The marble floor of the Grand Mosque in Makkah serves a practical purpose, helping regulate temperatures. (AFP file)
Special Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer
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A view of the Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, with the Makkah Tower Clock in the background. (AFP file)
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Updated 14 April 2023
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Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer

Why the marble flooring of Saudi Arabia’s Two Holy Mosques remains cool even in summer
  • Stone from particular island in Greece scientifically proven to have natural, self-cooling properties
  • The Saudi leadership has imported Thassos marble for use in the Two Holy Mosques since 1978

MAKKAH: For centuries, the Two Holy Mosques at Makkah and Madinah have welcomed pilgrims from across the world. To the pleasant surprise of visitors, the glistening white marble floor that surrounds the Kaaba in Makkah remains cool beneath their feet, even during the hottest days.

While some have claimed that hidden cold-water pipes under the floor are responsible for its coolness, the real reason lies in the mosque’s unique choice of building material.

Marble from Thassos, an eastern Greek island near Kavala in the Aegean Sea, has one of the rarest characteristics ever found in the stone. Due to its pure white appearance and high reflection of light, Thassos marble — sometimes called “snow white” marble — has one of the lowest heat absorbances of any marble.




Marble quarry on Thasos island, northern Greece. (Dr Peter Tzeferis via Wikimedia Commons)

The stone has been quarried from the island since ancient times, and is still used all over Greece today. It has formed the walls, floors, and statues of some of history’s greatest sites, including the ancient Macedonian tomb at Amphipolis (the largest ever discovered in Greece) and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The stone’s unique properties see its frequent use in luxury villas and interior decoration, though it does not come cheap. Individual tiles can range between $250 and $400 per square meter, according to Indian marble supplier RMS Marble.




Marble mined at a quarry in Thassos, Greece, is one of its most impressive features of the floor of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. (Shutterstock)

For decades, Saudi Arabia has imported the unique dolomitic marble for exclusive use at the Two Holy Mosques to provide relief and avoid unsafe surface temperatures, as mosque visitors are required to enter barefoot.

Undersecretary-general for technical, operational, and maintenance affairs at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Eng. Fares Al-Saedi, told Arab News that Thassos marble is characterized by its extreme coldness, despite intense heat that may reach 50-55 C in the summer months.




Pilgrims use umbrellas to protect themselves from the extreme hear during summer, but on the marble floor they need no protection. (AFP file)

Al-Saedi added that the Kingdom’s leadership decided to import the self-cooling stone for the construction of wide yards and open spaces where millions of pilgrims pass annually.

Al-Saedi explained that the General Presidency supervises marble maintenance work across the area by treating, restoring, and then polishing the marble or replacing old and unusable tiles.

“Maintenance is carried out 24/7 by over 40 engineers and technicians … each marble slab is five centimeters thick, and what makes it stand out is its ability to absorb moisture through its delicate pores during the night and release that moisture during the day, making it cooler under high temperatures,” he said.

According to a study published in the international journal Construction and Building Materials in 2021, the thermophysical features of the stone both reflect and dissipate solar insolation heat.




Crates of high quality marbles from Thassos ready for shipping. (Courtesy of Thassosmarbles)

The study found that Thassos marble has an uncommonly high level of high solar reflectance and a high rate of thermal conductivity relative to limestone, another stone commonly used in Islamic architecture.

Collectively, these properties have proven to be capable of sustaining cool surface temperatures even during hot summer periods, and provide an overall reduction in night-time convective shedding of thermal energy into the overlying atmosphere.

At the same time, the marble adds to the mosques’ artistic ambiance, which provides an exceptionally memorable experience.

Another study carried out by a joint Saudi-Egyptian team and published in the Arabian Journal of Geosciences in 2018 referred to the marble as “heat-dissipating smart marble,” attributing its high whiteness purity to the stone’s dolomite-rich crystal formation.




White marble blocks ready for slicing. (Courtesy of Thassosmarbles)

Writer and heritage researcher Abdullah Al-Batati told Arab News that the unroofed and paved stone floor of the mataf (the place where pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba) was slightly curved and filled with pebbles and stones smaller than the size of a bean before the pavement.

“Omar Ibn Al-Khattab was the first to stone the Mosque’s floor after the expansion of the mataf in 119 AH (737-738 AD); during the reign of Al-Walid bin Abdul-Malik, the mataf was covered in marble. In 145 AH (762-763 AD), the old floor was covered in marble in the era of Abu Jaafar Al-Mansour, and was tiled with marble in the era of Abbasid Caliphate in 284 AH (896-897 AD),” said Al-Batati.

“In 1003 AH (1594-1595 AD), flint stones were replaced with alabaster stones, while white bright marble covered the mataf’s floor in 1006 AH (1597-1598 AD) during the reign of Sultan Mohammad Khan. In 1344 AH (1925-1926 AD).”

He noted that during the reign of King Saud, the old marble tiles were removed from the old mataf, and the new mataf was leveled and paved. The two were separated by a dividing line of black marble which was brought in from several quarries across Saudi Arabia.




Undated view of the Holy Kaaba at the Makkah Grand Mosque crowded with pilgrims. (AN file)

Dr. Salma Hawsawi, professor of ancient history at King Saud University, told Arab News that King Abdulaziz carried out expansions at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, which lasted until King Khalid’s reign in the 1970s and 1980s. The latter issued an order to expand the Grand Mosque in its current form and tile its floor with heat-resistant marble imported from Greece in 1978.

King Khalid ordered the tiling of Makkah’s Holy Mosque using heat-resistant white marble to level the site and remove pebble stones so that the mataf could comfortably accommodate the increasing number of worshippers and pilgrims.

“The second expansion of the Grand Mosque occurred between 1985 and 1986 during King Fahd’s reign, who also ordered the tiling of the courtyard around the Kaaba and the squares surrounding the Grand Mosque using cold white marble in a circular and lined manner, making it suitable for prayers,” Hawsawi told Arab News.

In continuation of past expansion projects, King Salman continued developing the services of the two Holy Mosques, as he ordered the completion of the third expansion, in addition to developing many projects, according to Hawsawi.




Cranes are seen in the background at construction sites behind Makkah's Grand Mosque on December 4, 2008 as Muslims from all over the world flocked to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (AFP file)

Hawsawi stated that the marble is imported from Thassos in the form of large blocks of stone, which are then processed and manufactured in the Kingdom’s factories by the Binladen Group, a leading contracting company supervising the construction and development of Makkah’s mosques.

“Engineers and technicians carry out regular inspection visits and maintenance works with high proficiency, and marble tiles that are no longer in good condition and have lost their coolness characteristics are replaced with new ones. The type of marble is natural, and neither the Kingdom nor Greece inserts any additives, nor does it have any impurities.

“This type of marble is rare and expensive; a single marble piece is five centimeters thick, 120 centimeters long and 60 centimeters wide. It absorbs moisture and cold at night through its pores to preserve them during the day. Thus, the surfaces of the Grand Mosque remain moderately cool all year long and for everyone to enjoy,” Hawsawi said.

 


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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia sent on Tuesday its 22nd plane carrying aid destined for Gaza, which departed from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for Al-Arish International Airport in Egypt.

Operated by KSrelief, the aircraft is preparing to transport essential aid to those affected by the crisis in the Gaza Strip.

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Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives in Riyadh for official visit

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RIYADH: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for an official visit to the Kingdom.

Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, welcome the Brazilian leader and his accompanying delegation upon their arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The two countries enjoy a robust trade partnership, with Brazilian exports to Saudi Arabia during the first seven months of the year reaching $1.87 billion, the highest amongst all Arab countries.

Brazilian imports from the Kingdom were also the highest among Arab countries, standing at $1.98 billion.


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‘What Singapore did in 60 years, Saudi Arabia wants to accomplish in 15 years’: Diriyah Group CEO

‘What Singapore did in 60 years, Saudi Arabia wants to accomplish in 15 years’: Diriyah Group CEO
  • Media Oasis gathers Saudi delegation for 3-day event ahead of BIE Expo 2030 announcement
  • For Diriyah, chief executive says 140m sq m must be finished by 2030 to welcome people from around world

PARIS: Media Oasis is a three-day event organized by the Saudi Ministry of Media, highlighting the Kingdom’s economic, development, and culture transformation.

The fifth edition, being held at the Pavillon Vendome in Paris ahead of the Bureau International des Expositions announcement of the Expo 2030 host country, gathers a delegation of Saudi ministers, the mayor of Riyadh, and the leadership of Saudi megaproject companies, to talk about their latest and upcoming projects under Vision 2030, what the Kingdom will look like by 2030, and why Riyadh is the place to be and host the next world expo following Osaka in 2025.

The Media Oasis comprises nine sections from hospitality to culture and sport with Riyadh Expo 2030, Diriyah, NEOM, the Ministry of Sport, Visit Saudi and more present to showcase the “city of tomorrow,” Saudi heritage, and the country’s cultural gems.

The Ministry of Sport is working on 33 new events for 2024 in addition to hosting Asia 2027, Trojena winter games, with sustainability factored into the Kingdom’s transformation efforts, sustainable sports events, and activities.

Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Group, told Arab News how Diriyah was at the heart of the Kingdom’s transformation journey for 2030 and beyond.

Diriyah is a model for urban development and cultural renaissance, and an ambitious project aiming to become one of the leading culture centers, tourism hubs, and entertainment destinations on a global scale.

“We’re very blessed at this point in time to have two great visionary leaders of one time, King Salman, and the dynamic Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Their vision of the Kingdom to give happiness and well-being to all its people is 2030.

“The reason why this Expo is more important to Saudi than anybody is because we feel that it will allow us to welcome people from all over the world to see the accomplishments of the Kingdom by 2030.

“The crown prince said we will not only show our commitment, but we will also physically be there to show how much this means to us and I think it was a very thoughtful and brilliant strategy,” Inzerillo said.

Moving forward and beyond the announcement, the megaprojects are in progress to achieve the targets of Vision 2030, alongside a continued conversation between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world to meet the Kingdom’s economic, culture, and hospitality objectives.

With 50 years of experience in the tourism industry, Inzerillo highlighted authenticity and passion as a driving force behind the Diriyah projects, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the birthplace of the Kingdom.

“Winning the bid is when the work begins, because we have a giant task to do to get everything completed by 2030. In the case of Diriyah, 140 million square meters must be finished by 2030 and we will be ready to welcome everybody from all over the world,” he added.

In the six years leading up to 2030 the biggest challenge was expected to be manpower.

Inzerillo said: “We’re lucky because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a very young population, highly educated.

“What Singapore did in 60 years, what the Emiratis did just in tourism in 30 years, the crown prince wants to accomplish that in 15 years.

“Diriyah will be very famous by 2030. Now we have to get NEOM going, Red Sea going, the city of Riyadh will be unrecognizable, one of the great G20 cities of the world, as the crown prince continues his global leadership as a G20 head of government,” he added.


Symposium on fatwas to be held at Prophet’s Mosque

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Updated 28 November 2023
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Symposium on fatwas to be held at Prophet’s Mosque

Symposium on fatwas to be held at Prophet’s Mosque
  • A fatwa is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law

RIYADH: The head of religious affairs at the two holy mosques Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais announced that royal approval had been issued to hold a symposium on fatwas at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

A fatwa is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law, and the symposium will focus on rulings at the two holy mosques and their impacts on facilitating visitors to the religious sites.

Al-Sudais said the symposium is an extension of the efforts of the Saudi government to serve the two holy mosques and conveying their message to the world in accordance with the Kingdom’s moderate approach based on the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

He explained that the approval to hold this symposium supports the shift in methods of issuing fatwas and their digitalization in a way that suits and meets the religious needs of the visitors of the mosques, while helping them perform their rituals.

Al-Sudais added that the approval of King Salman to hold the symposium reflected the Kingdom’s concern for fatwas, given their direct impact on the pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques.


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Updated 28 November 2023
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Saudi crown prince, Ukrainian president discuss Ukraine-Russia conflict

Saudi crown prince, Ukrainian president discuss Ukraine-Russia conflict
  • Crown prince affirmed the Kingdom's commitment and support for all international efforts aimed at resolving crisis

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman received a phone call on Monday from the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the call, the crown prince affirmed the Kingdom's commitment and support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the Ukrainian-Russian crisis.

President Zelensky, in turn, acknowledged the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom in this regard.

The conversation also included a review of the bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as a discussion on various issues of mutual interest.